Patent GB-569908-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to torpedoes
IPC: F42B15/10
Filed: 1940-01-27
Abstract: 569,908. Aerial torpedoes. DALINDA, J. Z. Jan. 27, 1940, No. 1703. Convention date, Jan. 31, 1939. [Classes 9 (i) and 9 (ii)] An aerial torpedo adapted to be launched from an aircraft to land on the sea is controlled in its flight to the sea so that it takes a long straight glide and on reaching a point near the sea level, flattens out, strikes the water and rebounds therefrom, continuing its course in a series of leaps in a path which may be a wide spiral. The body 701 of the torpedo is streamlined with a stepped flat undersurface 731, a flat undernose, and fixed wings 702 curving into'the shape of the body towards the stem and stern, and which may be stepped on their undersurfaces, as shown in Fig. 4, to resist rolling of the body and to aid in the rebound on impact with the water. The torpedoes are held in a series of inclined chambers in a well 771, Fig. 14, of the aircraft and each is retained on slides therein by a stop 772A on a rotatable shaft 773A provided with a handle 775A attached to a cord leading into the aircraft so that the stop can be manipulated by the pilot to release the torpedo. The torpedoes are discharged in succession at an angle of approximately 45 degrees but each is held by cords 752, 753 until it assumes a level position whereafter the cords are released from the torpedo, and subsequently from their attachments 777A, 778A to the aircraft by fixed lugs 779A on the brackets which support the launching shafts as these shafts are further rotated to launch the next torpedo. Each torpedo is provided with horizontal elevators 706, Fig. 5, and a vertical rudder 732 situated at the stern just above a stiffened baffle-plate and all adapted to be operated by means in a stern compartment 711 closed by a removable cover-plate. The elevators are provided with extensions 709 inter-connected by a crossbar 710 which rests normally on a wedge 714 connected to an aerostat piston 726 attached to a flexible airtight sleeve 727 disposed within a cylinder 723 fixed to the wall of the well. A spring 729 disposed within the cylinder tends to push the piston in a, direction to withdraw the wedge from under the cross-bar 710 which is itself urged by a spring 718 to raise the elevators. A pivoted stop 788 is also provided connected by a light cord to the aircraft so that as the torpedo is launched the stop is withdrawn, the cord is broken, and the cross-bar 710 is sustained only by the wedge, the position of which is controlled by the aerostat. The aerostat is filled with air at reduced pressure at the height of the aircraft and just withstands the pressure of the spring 729 so that as the torpedo descends, the pressure of the spring is augmented by the increased pressure of the air on the underside of the piston, and the wedge is slowly withdrawn from under the cross-bar 710 allowing the elevators to be raised by the spring 718 until a position near the sea level is reached, whereupon the' wedge is wholly withdrawn and the' elevators are raised to their fullest extent which is determined by a stop 720, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 5. The rudder is mounted on a vertical shaft 733 adapted to.be rotated by a spring-urged lever 735 after a stop 738 has been released by a baffle 740 impacting with the sea, the torpedo during successive ricochets being thus steered to traverse a curved path covering a large area. The torpedo is maintained on a rectilinear path during its glide to the sea by a gyroscope 741, Fig. 8, mounted to rotate on a transverse shaft 742 suspended in bearings at the ends of the arms of a yoke 743 supported by a universal joint and restrained against torsional and oscillating forces by springs 748, 749 which bear against a cover-plate 746 to which the gyroscope is attached. The rotation of the gyroscope is initiated at launching of the torpedo by the cords 752, 753 which pass through apertures in the body of the torpedo over idler guide-pulleys, to pulleys 754 fixed to the ends of the gyroscope shaft, compensating coils 780, 781 being provided in the cords to compensate for the difference in height of their attachments to the aircraft so that the torpedo can assume a horizontal position after being launched After launching the gyroscope is set in rotation by the unwinding of the cords, the ends of which finally fly off the gyroscope pulleys. The precessional movement of the gyroscope, in the event of the torpedo veering from its straight air-path, reacts on the body of the torpedo and brings it back to its normal path again. Arms 750 on the gyroscope yoke prevent injury to the gyroscope on impact of the torpedo with the sea. The gyroscope cords in their paths to the gyroscope pulleys also pass around freely rotatable pulleys 755 disposed at the ends of a yoke 764, Fig. 10, to the centre of which is attached a pin 755 and spring 768 in alignment with a stop-pin 763 passing through the end of a firing pin 760 held in restrained position from the fulminate charge 769 by a light spring 762. As the gyroscope cords are pulled at the launching, the yoke 764 is raised and the pin 765 attached. to it pushes out the stop pin 763 and replaces it, acting as a temporary stop pin for the firing pin until the cords are released, whereupon the yoke drops and the firing pin is released and can be driven forward when the torpedo contacts with the target to fire the charge.